To mark its 10th anniversary, the Brussels Chamber Choir is producing a CD recording of new Belgian choral music, entitled "Made in Belgium". The album is to be released by the Belgian label Etcetera records in the autumn of 2017.

About the Brussels Chamber Choir

In 2007, a group of students of the Royal Music Conservatoire in Brussels were looking for a way to share their love for choral music, and they decided to form the Brussels Chamber Choir! Over the past 10 years, the ensemble has evolved into an eclectic group of passionate singers from Brussels, both amateur and professional, and of more than ten different nationalities. The choir’s high-standard performances, throughout Belgium and abroad, a cappella and with orchestra, have helped it establish a reputation as one of the best choirs in Belgium. Since its creation, the BCC has been conducted by mezzo-soprano Helen Cassano.

About this recording project

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Brussels Chamber Choir, we have decided to produce our very first professional CD recording. We have been lucky enough to find an exceptional recording company, Rachel Smith’s Ophelia Productions, and a magical acoustic in the chapel of the former convent in Huldenberg, in the Belgian Flemish-Brabant region. We are also delighted to count on the support of the Belgian label Etcetera Records, who will be releasing the album, on CD as well as digitally, in the autumn of 2017. In March of this year we gathered in Huldenberg for a fantastic first recording session, in which we recorded half of our CD programme. In June we will return to Huldenberg for a second and final recording session.

About the album: “Made in Belgium”

Since its very first project, the BCC has been passionate about singing a cappella, especially contemporary works of the 20th and 21st centuries: we find it very exciting to discover new music and bring it to life! And as a Belgian choir, we are particularly keen to share with the world the wonderful music which is being written right here, right now. So, our album will introduce beautiful and inspiring new choral music, all of it “Made in Belgium”, as a tribute to the country’s rich diversity of languages, communities and cultures. The works featured on the CD have been composed between 1985 and 2017, and most pieces will be world première recordings!

Track listing (in chronological order)

Luc Dupuis (1954- ): Stabat Mater (1985)*

Guy-Philippe Luypaerts (1931-1999): Chanson des éclopés (1996)*

Rudi Tas (1957- ): Je voudrais te la dire (1998)

arr. Jean-Marie Rens (1955- ): Die Nachtegaal in ‘t wilde (2001)*

Kurt Bikkembergs (1963- ): Never pain to tell thy love (2004)

Coryn (1938- ): The sick rose (2006)

Tas (1957- ): Ave Maria (2008)

Stephan Laschet (1979): Pater noster (2013)*

Maarten Van Ingelgem (1976- ): Hampstead Heath (2014)*

Piet Swerts (1960- ): War (2014)*

Alan Charlton (1970- ): The everlasting voices (2015)*

Alan Charlton (1970- ): Il flotte une musique éteinte (2016)*

Xavier Deprez (1966- ): O ignis spiritus (2017)*

Jan Moeyaert (1981- ): In duin (2017)*

arr. Toby Wardman (1981- ): Li p’tit banc (2017)*

*world première recording

About this crowdfunding campaign

Though we managed to save a lot of money in 2016, we are still very much in need of financial help to be able to fully finance this ambitious and expensive project. If you are interested in our project, and would like to help us out, please consider buying our CD via this crowd-funding platform. If you do, you will not only be supporting the Brussels Chamber Choir, but you will also be promoting the creation of beautiful new choral music. And for this we will be extremely grateful! We could not do it without you!